Rockville Man Convicted In Virginia Of Drug Possession Charges

Prosecutors say he hid cocaine inside of desserts & other food items.Alexandria, Va. (KM) A Rockville, Maryland man was convicted this week on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.  Gildo Ricci, 69, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25th, 2025.The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia says Ricci arrived at Dulles International Airport on April 25th, 2024 on a flight from Bogotá, Colombia. Customs and Border Protection conducted a secondary inspection of his luggage, and found some deserts and other food items. Agents applied pressure to one of the items which emitted a white, powdery substance which tested for cocaine hydrochloride.CPB also inspected an unusually heavy cake.  They probed it with a knife ,but it failed to penetrate the confection. Personnel then removed the top layer of the cake and found a brick which also contained  cocaine hydrochloride. Some mixed soup packages that Ricci’s had in his luggage also contained that cocaine substance.Altogether 207 kilograms of cocaine were found, the US Attorney’s Office says.Federal officials say inside one of Ricci’s suitcases was a child’s backpack containing $7,750 which later turned out to be counterfeit.Persecutors say when Ricci is sentenced, he could receive up to 20 years in prison. But actual sentences for federal crimes are usually less than the maximum penalties. Before passing sentence, a district court judge will consider US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.Federal officials say Ricci is a citizen of Peru, and a lawful Permanent Resident of the United States.By Kevin McManus